Houston's funeral will be invitation only, Whigham said, and there will be no wake or public viewing at the Prudential Center. Houston will not be buried in Newark, she said.

Outside the funeral home this morning, nine satellite trucks and more than a dozen reporters and photographers from as far away as Brazil staked out positions hoping to spot Houston's famous family and friends. Earlier, a woman yelled "I love you Whitney" out of her passenger-side window as she drove past.

Although some of her fans who gathered today outside the Whigham Funeral Home said they were disappointed they could not attend, they understood the family's decision.